The present invention generally relates to dishwashers and, more particularly, to dishwasher doors which are pivoted about a lower horizontal edge to move from a normally closed, vertical position to an open, horizontal position.
Such door arrangements are used in almost all types of dishwashers, whether they are floor supported dishwashers, or counter-top dishwashers. In floor supported dishwashers, i.e., machines placed on the floor and extending up to the underside of a counter-top or a kitchen sink, it is often desirable to conform the appearance of the dishwasher door to the surrounding cabinetry by attaching a decorative or ornamental panel to the outside of the door.
Different types of support arrangements have been suggested to coordinate the pattern of movement of the panel to the movement of the dishwasher door whereby a lower portion of the panel will enter a bottom or base area of the dishwasher situated immediately above the floor. In this regard see, for instance, DE 2937369. Movement of the decorative panel into the base of the dishwasher is usually not a disadvantage since the base area does not have any function when the door is in its horizontal or open position.
In counter-top dishwashers, i.e., small machines which are placed in a kitchen sink or on a counter-top, there usually is not the same need to coordinate the appearance of the dishwashing machine with the surrounding cabinetry since the machine usually is regarded as a free standing or separate object which is not linked to the surrounding cabinets.